Not Quite by the Book Audiobook By Julie Hatcher cover art

Not Quite by the Book

A Novel

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Not Quite by the Book

By: Julie Hatcher
Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
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About this listen

A bookstore owner discovers that life as a recluse isn’t for everyone in this sharp yet sweet novel about how sometimes you need to abandon the quest for love to find your true passion.

Emma Rini is in a rut so deep she could shelve books there. While her sister awaits her first baby, and her parents kick off retirement with vow renewals and travel, Emma stays put among the stacks of the family bookshop.

In fact, she can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Or had a romance that hovered above disappointing. When her parents assume she’ll take over the shop for them without a break, she realizes she needs to get away—back to the nineteenth century. Channeling her favorite poet recluse, Emily Dickinson, Emma rents a crumbling manor house outside Amherst where she can learn how to be quietly, blissfully alone.

But becoming a world-weary spinster isn’t easy. She can’t start a fire or reason with the bunnies that are destroying the garden. She finds herself sparring constantly with the grumpy-hot architect who is renovating the manor. And then there’s the secret admirer who keeps sending her complicated floral messages…

No matter what she does, the outside world keeps knocking, and Emma starts to dream about the future. Will she forgo love for the family legacy? And will she shrink away or become the sort of bold person fortune favors?

©2025 by Julie Anne Hatcher. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Family Life Genre Fiction Women's Fiction
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Critic reviews

“The latest from Hatcher is a sweet novel about taking chances and believing in yourself…A lovely read.”Booklist

What listeners say about Not Quite by the Book

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Loved

Beautiful story of finding yourself. Story was told beautifully, believably and at a good steady pace. Makes me want to rent an airbnb!

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Find your HEA

This book was a surprise. I'm not familiar with this author but it's such a great story. Who wouldn't want to take a 6 week sabbatical to find themselves and find true love when you're not looking for it?

The narrative was spot on. Love her voice.

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Meh

Main character was kind of annoying, more so the further the book went. Overall, the story was ok

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Blah

Overall, not a terrible book, just a little slow and lacking characters development. I would have liked to see more development on other characters. it would have built the sense of mystery a little bit more.

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Just okay

Who goes on vacation for six weeks 40 miles away? That’s nuts. Also, the obsessive fascination with ED didn’t really sit well. The story was very slow, characters were very one dimensional. It was just okay.

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Need a vacation like this!

I loved everything about this book…….the friendships, both old and new, trying new hobbies, slow burning romance and a loving, if somewhat dysfunctional, family.

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Perfection

I am gushing right now! One of the best romantic comedies I have had the pleasure of reading.

Will Emma find her true love? Is it Michael? Or perhaps it is Davis? Emma takes a six week sabbatical to rediscover who she truly is and what she truly wants in the midst of her pregnant sister’s due date approaching and her parents retiring. Not only are they retiring but they’re planning on Emma to take the reins for their beloved bookstore. Plus, she thinks it is time to give up on love.

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She was boring at first.

Spoiler Alert:
It was definitely a slow start for me. I knew it was Davis, I stuck around to make sure.

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Great Book!

I absolutely loved this book! Being a fan of books, gardening, bunnies, and Emily Dickinson it wasn’t a hard sell but it was even more enjoyable than expected. I’ve loved all the books from this author but I think this is my favorite yet.

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Cute story, a little slow

Great performance, but story was a little slow. The story had a bunch of characters that could be stars of their own books in a series.

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